Plan to build new bridge from Wilmington to Brunswick County still in flux

Wednesday

Apr 23, 2014 at 5:48 PM

The latest time line for the bridge project shows a decision on a route coming in 2017

By Gareth McGrathGareth.McGrath@StarNewsOnline.com

With the congested and well-worn Memorial Bridge the region's primary crossing of the Cape Fear River, the need for a new bridge linking Wilmington to Brunswick County has been apparent for a long time.But the political will? That's waxed and waned over the years. And the financing? That still remains the biggest hurdle facing any new bridge proposal.More than two years after the Cape Fear Skyway proposal became mired in bureaucratic and political red tape, state and local officials are still diligently working to determine where a new crossing would make the best logistical, political, environmental and even financial sense.While frustrated about some aspects of the process, Wilmington City Councilwoman Laura Padgett said the push is moving forward."We are making progress," she said. "A project of that size is always going to be a slow-moving process."After receiving feedback from local officials and environmental agencies, the N.C. Department of Transportation this month announced that it has selected 12 alternative routes for further study. The list includes two that would update existing U.S. 17, four that would be built on a new location, and six that would upgrade existing proposed routes."These alternatives were selected for their potential to fulfill the purpose of the project while minimizing impacts to the human and natural environment," stated the DOT in a recent newsletter.That "purpose" is to "improve traffic flow and enhance freight movements beginning in the vicinity of U.S. 17 and future I-140 in Brunswick County across the Cape Fear River to U.S. 421 near the Port of Wilmington in southern New Hanover County."A new crossing also would improve evacuation times from the coast due to a natural or man-made disaster.But how to get from here to there, figuratively and literally, has bedeviled officials for years.The latest time line for the bridge project shows a decision on a route coming in 2017. But land acquisition and actual construction is listed in "post years," which means it's not even on the DOT's radar screen right now.Then there's the cost.The most recent estimates show the project's price tag could be more than $1 billion – and that's in today's dollars.A new crossing also appeared to receive lukewarm support from state officials who "scored" projects currently in the DOT's planning process as part of a new plan to allow North Carolina to get the most bang for its limited transportation dollars.The bridge project scored a 38 out of a possible 100 in the statewide mobility category, which looked at a project's economic benefits among other criteria. The leading project in the state earned nearly 90 points, and the highest-ranked proposal in the Wilmington area – adding an additional lane to northbound South College Road around Oleander Drive – received 58.But Padgett said those state scores are just one measure used to rank transportation priorities.Still to be factored in are local priorities, along with the concerns and needs from groups like the state ports and the military. That could help see the bridge project's funding prospects improve."We're taking a wait-and-see approach," said Mike Kozlosky, the city's transportation manager, echoing the sentiment.Still, the cost of the bridge and how to fund it remains the proverbial elephant in the room whenever a new Cape Fear crossing is discussed.But Padgett said that while everyone knows any new bridge will be expensive, the alternative could be even worse – especially as the region's population continues to increase on both sides of the river.Traffic on the Memorial Bridge – which opened in 1969 – is forecast to jump to 113,700 vehicles a day by 2035 if another crossing is not built, and will increase to 81,600 cars a day even if one is, according to the DOT. The bridge handled about 53,000 vehicles a day in 2012."Yes, it's going to be expensive and yes, we need to balance the needs of the community," Padgett said. "But with the age of the Memorial Bridge and the projected traffic and population growth, at some point we're going to have to have another way to get across the Cape Fear River."